Arsenal loanee set for month off after elimination
Just a couple of months into his loan spell with Cruzeiro, Arsenal winger Marquinhos was already in the hunt for silverware last week, playing in the Campeonato Mineiro semi-finals.
Cruzeiro had topped Group C in the group stage, finishing with a record of three wins, two draws and three defeats. But after a 1-1 draw with America-MG in their subsequent semi-final first leg, Cruzeiro knew they had to win away from home to reach the final.
Despite starting five of his team's eight group games, Marquinhos dropped to the bench for the semi-final tie, playing five minutes of the first leg and 25 minutes of the second leg.
The two teams drew 1-1 again, sending the tie to penalties, and America-MG won the shootout 4-2. Marquinhos didn't take one.
America-MG will face Atletico Mineiro in a two-legged final, whilst Cruzeiro have a break from competitive matches until the Brazilian Serie A kicks off on March 29th.
Cruzeiro will also be taking part in the Copa Sudamericana this season, but they've already qualified for the group stage, which begins on April 1st.
The Brazilian side also don't enter the Copa do Brasil until the third round, with only lower-ranked teams contesting the first two rounds of competition – similar to the FA Cup in England.
In the meantime, Marquinhos will get a bit of a break from match action with his loan club. He's played 10 games so far, earning 551 minutes on the pitch, scoring once, and assisting once.
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